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Instasham! The Popular App Changes Its Tune

Is nothing sacred when it comes to the World Wide Web and social media? That is correct, nothing is sacred and nothing is a secret. Case in point, fans of Instagram are up in arms after finding out that the popular app would let advertisers pick and choose among user-posted photos for ads. On the radio today I heard listener after listener proclaiming their disdain for the policy and also stating their intentions to discontinue using the app for good. But before you go jumping ship, you should know that Instagram is already back pedaling and reversed course saying they won’t allow it.

I, for one, am not hooked on Instagram so I can’t relate to the unexpected struggle that some people faced this week while trying to decide whether or not to cease and desist Instagramming. Users were given the option of deleting their accounts by Jan. 16.; after that, Instagram had said, it’s a done deal, with no way to opt out. Also, photos that were posted prior to Jan. 16 were to be eligible for licensing by Instagram for an amount of time not specified in the new privacy policy.

As one Twitter user put it, “I wish I had the strength to leave Instagram … but I can’t do it. No matter how badly it treats me.” Wow, it’s scary to think that people are addicted to looking at other people’s pictures. I think what it boils down to is that we have become an overly voyeuristic society that wants to spend less time thinking about their own lives and more time focusing on the lives of others. Instagram can say what they want but at the end of the day any picture that you snap and post is probably fair game. How would you ever know if they used your pic for an ad unless you just so happened to see it? I’m sure they’re willing to risk it.